Packing for steam turbines and the like



061:. 4, 1932. c, w, K 1,880,846

PACKING FOR STEAM TURBINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 16, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

Cariej max/a? ,4 TTORNEYS Oct. 4, 1932. w, E 1,880,846

PACKING FOR STEAM TURBINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 16. 1930 2 ShetS-ShWt2 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES W. LAKE, 01CHIGAG O, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO THE PYLE-NATION AL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OENEW JERSEY PACKING FOR STEAM TURBINES AND THELIKE Application filed August 16, 1930. Serial No. 475,668.

My invention relates to improvements in packing for steam turbines andthe like and has for one object to provide a new and 1mproved form ofpacking which will ofier a minimum of resistance to a rotating shaft,which will be steam or air tight, long lived and easy to assemble andwill offer little or no difliculty in connection with assembly and dsassenibly. Other objects of my invention Wlll appear from time to timethroughout the specification and claim.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectlonthrough a steam turbine illustrating my Invention;

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2 2 of Figure 1; p

Figure 3 is a detail on an enlarged scale through the packing collar.

Like-parts are indicated by like charac ters throughout thespecification and drawm s.

T have illustrated my invention in connection with the rotating shaftfor a steam turbine as primarily adapted to be applied with a turbogenerator. It will be obvious that while my invention is primarily sointended it might be used for other purposes and it might even be usedunder some circumstances with a reciprocating rather than a rotatingshaft.

A is a generator housing. A is a turbine housing. The two are tiedtogether by filler blocks A A is a bearing in the generator housingwhich supports the turbine shaft A The stub end of the shaft projectsinwardly into the turbine housing. The shaft is threaded as at Aadjacent the bearing. A nut A engages the threaded portion and a fillersleeve A is mounted on the shaft engaging the nut. This filler sleeveprojects inwardly into the turbine housing through the aperture A. Theshaft carries the turbine wheel A, the nut A on the end of the shaftengaging the wheel forcing it inwardly along the shaft against thefiller sleeve A". The guide passages A associated with the steam nozzlenot shown, control and guide the steam as it travels in the housingimpinging upon the turbine buckets to drive the turbine. The details ofthe turbine form no present invention and need no cussion.

Surrounding the aperture A in the wall of the turbine housing is acarbon ring B. This ring is socketed in the interior face of the wall asindicated and is yieldingly held in place by the flexible tight ring BThis flexible tight ring is socketed in the socket B on the inner wallof the housing, is held in place by the screws B and on'its innerperiphery overlies and yieldingly engages the outer periphery of thecarbon ring, leaving a relatively wide flat annular bearing face B onthe carbon ring. The carbon ring is relatively rigid and relativelyfriable-but it successfully resists wear. It is necessary that it beflexibly mounted so that expansion and contraction of the ring and ofthe housing will not cause breaking or chipping of the ring. The ring isstilf enough and heavy enough in cross section so that the engagement ofthe relatively thin flexible holding ring is sufficient to seat it inits socket and make a steam tight joint between the body of the carbonring and the wall of the housing.

Removably mounted on the face of the turbine rotor is an open ended clinder C. It is held in place by a plurality of screws C which penetratethe body of the turbine rotor. This cylinder is substantially of thesame interior diameter as the outer diameter of the working face of thecarbon ring and isof such length that when the turbine is assembled itclears the flexible tight or holding ring B C is a floating ring. It iscon tained inside the cylinder C. It encircles the shaft and sleeve Aand it may be in sliding contact with the outer periphery of the sleeveA Pins C projecting from the turbine wheel penetrate apertures C in thefloating ring and guide it along lines parallel with the axis of theshaft. Two arcuate spring fingers C on the back end of the ring C areupwardly recurvcd to each having at each end a bearing surface C whichengages the face of the turbine wheel, the pins C holding the floatingring also against rotation with respect to the turbine wheel. Springpacking rings C C are located in part of my further disthe floating ringC and make a tight joint with the inner periphery of the cylinder C.

The flexible engagement of the surface C on the fingers C with the wheelcauses the floating ring to be pressed against the carbon ring making atthat point a steam tight joint,'the floating ring rotating with theturbine wheel, the carbon ring being held against rotation. Since thefloating ring only contacts the housing through its contact with thecarbon ring, the fioatin ring is free to move with the very limitemovement of the turbine shaft which may take place. Longitudinalmovement is taken care of in that the floating ring may slide in thecylinder so that the springs may urge it outwardly toward the carbonring and may compensate for wear without in any way aflecting orminimizing the steam tightness. As the turbine rotates the floating ringand the cylinder rotate with the wheel. The floating ring is pressedagainst the carbon ring making a tight joint. The spring packing ringsmake a tight joint and still permit longitudinal movement of thefloating ring. There is a sufficient clearance between the floating ringand the filler sleeve on the shaft so that there will be no tendencytoward binding. Steam does not enter that clearance because it cannotescape from the housing beyond the spring packing rings to anyappreciable extent.

have used the term carbon as applied to the ring B, because that is thename iven this ring in the art and because rings 0 this kind areordinarily in part at least of carbon and have a carbon appearance. Itmay be made of pure carbon or some alloy of carbon and crystallinematerial or an alloy of carbon and fibrous material or it may bebakelite or bakelite with carbon as the case may be. The point is thatit is primarily a non-metallic ring that stands heat, moisture andfriction and which wears smooth to make a steam tight joint and I wantit understood therefore that the term carbon is used in the generalsense as applied to any ring of this general character.

I claim:

A packing for shafts and the like comprising an apertured housingthrough which the shaft extends, a carbon packm ring socketed in thehousing concentric with the aperture, flexible means for holding thering seated in its socket comprising a flexible holding ring socketed inthe housing, screws ing the floating ring, spring packing rings rin Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 13th day ofAugust,

CHARLES W. DAKE.

